A standard rolling stand, for instance for reducing rod or bar stock, has a frame and first and second journal sleeves or chocks mounted on the frame, defining respective axes, and having axially inner and outer ends. Respective first and second shafts journaled in the sleeve have respective inner and outer ends at the sleeve inner and outer ends with both of the outer ends projecting axially from the frame. Workpiece-deforming first and second rollers are mounted cantilevered from the frame on the shaft outer ends. Respective first and second drive gears engage toothed portions of the first and second shafts between the respective ends for rotating same about the respective axes.
The advantage of this system is that the cantilevered workpiece-deforming rollers are highly accessible, making it easy to use the apparatus. Normally these rollers are of small diameter and are made of very hard material. Thus they can be rotated at high speed to deform the workpiece while using a relatively low pressure.
The main disadvantage of this system is that, since the rollers are only supported to one side of the nip, their relative positions are hard to control accurately. Thus such a rolling apparatus is good for roughing, but cannot normally be used to produce a workpiece of a caliber within a tight tolerance range.